Question regarding scores/tabs

[FuSoYa]

So I was thinking about how manuscript, especially tablature is somewhat in demand for fans of motW or kayo dot, and then about how our band is very broke and will probably never get to tour unless we make some money. Therefore perhaps I'll put together some handmade books and sell them for cheap. My questions to you, the potential consumer are:

1) Are people interested in the actual scores or just tabs? Should I combine score and tab into the same page or keep them separate? Is anyone interested in the score at all, enough to buy it?

2) How fancy shmancy should these books be? Could be anywhere from photocopy to really nice paper and very nice gold writing or something. Could be stapled, papercliped, or bound relatively nicely.

3) Is it a better idea to sell them per album, i.e. a book of Bath, a book of LYBM, a book of CotE... or more like a best-of and/or most requested?


Obviously the price will depend mostly on what kind of paper is used. I'd be okay with letting photocopied versions go for maybe even 2 bucks an album, but with nice paper and every single one handmade it'll probably more in the ballpark of 10, perhaps? Just a guesstimate.

So anyway what would everyone be most interested in?

 

[xfer]

with some cool cover art (even just a drawing) and maybe an actual autograph on each one, you might actually sell more than a few of these? ebay will be your friend, i predict.

 

[FuSoYa]

yeah i mean there is also the question of doing really individualized ones or just creating a design and then printing them in bulk.

Also they could have lyrics too.

 

[The Dope]

I'd be willing to pay for a whole score for each album done in whatever form you decide.

 

[FuSoYa]

I'm actually kind of excited to do it up pretty nice.

 

[avi]

i think it would be *really* cool if you actually went to a book-binder/print-shop and got a bunch of em done up really nice, with good lettering/design/et al. that's some serious collector item shit. and I'd offer cheapy photo-copy style ones too, for the poor folk.

 

[FuSoYa]

Also here's a very important question: The books I see in the stores are usually just for the guitars. Is it safe to assume that's what people are interested in with our stuff? I mean because to score an entire album would be at least a hundred pages, and I don't know if I can take that on right now.

I mean, an AC/DC guitar book costs what, 20 bucks at guitar center? Anyway would people still buy this shit if it was just the guitar stuff and not all the orchestrations?

 

[avi]

and yeah, do that shit by album. not some greatest hits mumbo jumbo.



this is actually a really, really cool merch idea.

 

[FuSoYa]

ooh also maybe the bath/lybm ones could have instructions on how to decipher the album code thingy.

and CotE could have the lyrics, since Bath/LYBM's lyrics are already included with the CD but CotE's are not.

Also maybe descriptions or explanations, etc.

 

[avi]

ps, the eccentric/experimental music community eats this kinda shit up. f'real.

 

[xfer]

yo i got some BINDERY connects here. not that i could get you a discount, but i could point you in the direction of commercial binders.

 

[The Dope]

This is a very good idea, I think.

 

[FuSoYa]

How much should I even expect to spend on this? Like what is the cost of commercial printing and binding?

 

[FalseTodd]

I could definitely help with the layout / typesetting.

 

[Firedwarf]

(edited cuz I read something wrong)

Yeah, I'd LOVE to have the whole score. That'd be awesome.

And do it by album!

 

[xfer]

For small or unique runs, unfortunately, it's not cheap. when Tom and I were compiling our Necronomicon, we were expecting to spend like 20 or 30 bucks a copy, with nice faux-leather covers. Maybe it would be cheaper with perfect binding and paper covers, or maybe it would even have been cheaper and we over-anticipated (we were only going to make like 3 copies).

I wouldn't recommend investing in a large run just to get a cheaper price. You have no idea how these will sell.

 

[Firedwarf]

By the way this is a super cool idea.

 

[xfer]

I'll ask around a little. You can also call ACME, our bindery, at 617-242-1100 and ask them some questions. There's another bindery we don't use anymore, and I can find their number later if you want to comparison-shop, once you've figured out what you want.

Honestly, I don't think you WANT the faux-leather, library-lookin' book. More like a pamphlet or something, and you could maybe even do it yourself (I'm thinking of the simple staple binding used in the Ed Sueta Band Method books, get me?).

 

[ChromeLife]

Awesome idea... for real... it would be a priority purchase for me!

 

[Baliset]

so i guess that would mean me putting a stop to my tab page plans?